circuit-breaker law
n.— «The circuit-breaker law calls for 75 percent state reimbursement of the amount of money it costs to educate a student minus the $29,320. For example, subtracting the $29,320 from a total cost of $100,000 means the town should receive 75 percent reimbursement for the $70,680 difference between the two figures.» —“‘Circuit-breaker law’ worries schools” by Bill Fortier Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts) Oct. 28, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Oofless is an antiquated bit of British slang that describes someone temporarily short on cash. It’s from ooftisch, a Yiddish-derived term for “cash placed on the table,” from German auf Tisch. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Roderick in Jacksonville, Florida, says patients in his cardiac electrophysiology practice often look at the tangle of EKG wires on their chests and joke that now they’re wired for sound. What’s the origin of this phrase? Although to wire meaning...